A Tide-Fueled Trove of Biodiversity in Guinea-Bissau
Seen from above, the process leads to stark changes to the landscape: around low tide, intertidal mudflats and sandflats emerge from the sea, causing islands to grow significantly before shrinking again hours later. The perpetual rhythm of the tides sustains outpourings of marine life in an archipelago that, as of 2025, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site protects the only active deltaic archipelago on Africa's Atlantic coast, a place where tides, river sediments, coastal upwelling, and coastal currents come together to shape unusually productive and biodiverse island ecosystems.
- ▪Seen from above, the process leads to stark changes to the landscape: around low tide, intertidal mudflats and sandflats emerge from the sea, causing islands to grow significantly before shrinking again hours later.
- ▪The perpetual rhythm of the tides sustains outpourings of marine life in an archipelago that, as of 2025, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- ▪The site protects the only active deltaic archipelago on Africa's Atlantic coast, a place where tides, river sediments, coastal upwelling, and coastal currents come together to shape unusually productive and biodiverse island ecosystems.
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Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryA Tide-Fueled Trove of...EarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next GenerationEO KidsMission: BiomesAboutAbout UsSubscribe🛜 RSSContact UsSearch 3 min readA Tide-Fueled Trove of Biodiversity in Guinea-BissauImage of the Day for July 17, 2026The expansive mudflats, sandy beaches, and mangrove forests of the Bijagós archipelago support an array of migratory shorebirds and large numbers of sea turtles.
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